A distinguished citizen and prosperous merchant of Newport, William Vernon born January 17, 1719, used his vast experience in seafaring activities to orchestrate the building and equipping of vessels for the newly organized American Continental Navy. Vernon was elected President of the Eastern Navy Board on May 6, 1777, in Boston, which lasted for the […]
Brian Stinson
Newport researcher, author, historian and lecturer for 30 years, Newport Brian Stinson graduated from St. Michael’s and Rogers High Schools. He graduated from Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH, where he was the sports editor for the school’s information office sports and alumni publications.
Upon graduation, Stinson worked in the Boston financial markets as a correspondent and quality analyst and produced the 101 Colleges of New England Video Series, which was distributed to high schools and libraries across the country.
He has been published in various publications including The Newport Daily News, Old Rhode Island, the sailing publication WindCheck and was the research historian for Newport Life Magazine for a decade.
Stinson authored Newport Notables and was the head researcher for Rockwell Stensrud’s Newport: A Lively Experiment 1639 – 1969 published in 1997 and 2007 respectively – both were done under the auspices of the Redwood Library & Athenaeum. He was a researcher and lecturer during Newport’s 375th Anniversary.
Additionally, Stinson has been a regular contributor to Newport This Week and authored Newport Firsts: A Hundred Claims to Fame. Charleston, SC (The History Press), 2018.
Posted inHistory
On This Day – Dec. 15, 1780: French Admiral Charles-Louis D’Arsac Chevalier de Ternay dies at Hunter House
Admiral Charles-Louis D’Arsac Chevalier de Ternay, born in Angers, France 1723, was in command of the French Navy, who transported the army of Lieutenant General Rochambeau, commander of the French expeditionary forces in America. The French, as allies, are the only foreign land and naval forces ever to establish themselves in America. The French fleet […]
Posted inArts & Culture
On This Day – Dec. 24, 1901: Newport-native Clarence King dies, was the first director of U.S. Geological Survey
Born in Newport on January 6, 1842, Clarence King, commonly referred to as “Clare”, was a fifth-generation Newporter. His father, James Rivers King, was involved in the family commerce of King & Talbot, during the period in history referred to as the “Opium Wars”. James was out to sea when his son was born, so […]
Posted inHistory
On This Day – Dec. 10, 1905: U.S. Naval Torpedo Station on Goat Island receives transmission of the first distress signal in U.S.
Wireless radio was a major breakthrough in communications technology. To send or transmit by wireless telegraphy, electromagnetic waves are used to send and receive information in the form of Morse code messages. Guglielmo Marconi (1847-1937) did not invent the wireless, but he applied certain improvements to the existing devices through experimentation and made the systems […]